Interior Design

While a neutral room with pops of color is typically more my style, I do occasionally love a good liberal use of color. Bright and strong colors can be so invigorating, wonderful if you want a room to feel exciting and fun. The shot above is so on point it’s alarming. Deep green walls, bright chartreuse details, beautiful maroon-pink velvet chairs and a gutsy bit of bright orange thrown in with that vase. On paper I would probably think that color combination is a little ridiculous but I can’t help but love it. Having a strong foundation of killer architecture and classy furniture definitely gives you more room to play with color.

Going monochromatic (having only one color used throughout) can be a great way to test the colorful waters. You don’t have to concern yourself with mixing and can actually achieve a look that feels somewhat neutral in character if that is what you would like. Blue has always been a very popular color and is a great one to try if you don’t normally use a lot of color.

The saturation level of a color has a huge impact on how it feels in a space. Lower saturation like you see in pastels is airier and fresher (which is perfect for some rooms), while high saturation is alluring and bold. I absolutely love it when two highly saturated colors are used together. Gorgeous strong blue walls and a dramatic deep maroon on the sofa work together to create a room that feels daring and adventurous and anything but boring.

Thanks to living in a condo, our current outdoor living space is a tiny deck, maybe 10 by 10 feet. Some hand-me-down outdoor furniture lives there, a table and chairs, but there’s nothing attractive about them. With the space being so small it just doesn’t lure us out there very often which is such a shame being someone who draws a lot of energy from the outdoors. Whenever my husband and I start looking for our next home, the outdoor space will definitely be something I pay attention to. We want a single family home, so at the very least we’ll definitely have some sort of yard. I also would really like to move out of the city a ways, so we might end up with a large lot.

I’m definitely excited by the prospect of having land to enjoy though somewhat ironically the outdoor living spaces that I am usually drawn to are all on decks and patios. Or in other words: no huge abundance of grass. Grass is nice to be sure, but truthfully I prefer a more “wild” yard with a hardscaped area for relaxing in the sun. Hardscape refers to all of the man-made elements of an outdoor design such as paved areas, structures, walls, pools and fountains, etc. The space above has a lot of hardscaping, and they’ve done a beautiful job balancing all the “hard” with soft plant life.

A beautiful outdoor living space doesn’t have to be overly complicated or decorated to the gills. Even with some wonky shutters and an uneven looking brick patio this space is lovely. Embrace the fact that this is an outdoor room and let the plants get a little overgrown.

This is the sort of scene I’d like to be able to wander into from our future home. Forests are my favorite. Walking paths not necessary (though welcome). Do you have a favorite outdoor setting that you find particularly welcoming or energizing? Snow-capped mountains, ocean, desert? For me it’s always the greener the better.

I wish I could explain why I am so drawn to old decrepit things. Some of course are just ugly or outdated, but there’s something about certain objects and rooms. Despite crumbling bits and worn corners they are brimming with charm. I suppose it has a lot to do with a feeling that they have a story to tell, that they’ve been around a while and are therefore imbued with the character and personality of the people and events that have touched them. Public vintage bathrooms have never been so lovely as the one above. 😉 I have a particular fondness for cracking and peeling walls. Time has turned it into art.

Just adding a few vintage touches to a room can transform it from bland and unexciting to welcoming and intriguing. The vintage-style mirrors in this bathroom are adorable. And how about that tile? Pretty much everyone likes subway tile and I love how this has the same basic look but the tiles have a handmade, wavy and uneven look. Super charming.

I found some seriously stunning tile recently when I was looking for ideas for our kitchen (which may or may not be remodeled some time in the near future). Check out these lovelies that could work just as easily in bathrooms as on a backsplash.

I have a bit of exciting news! Last week I spontaneously decided that I was finally going to move design-vox to self-hosting, rather than being hosted by WordPress which it is currently. I’ll still be using WordPress as a platform but this will allow me a lot more freedom with customizing the blog. Also, as part of the change design-vox is getting a brand new look! I am hopeful that by the time I post again it will be up and running! It will be the same web address, and nothing should change as far as any subscription that you may have to the blog. That is something that I’m still a little mystified by that I think I need to get help with. If you notice anything odd with the site as the transition occurs I do apologize and feel free to let me know. Now back to our regular programming…

I love rustic elements in any room of the house but something about rustic kitchens really make me swoon. Worn wood, vintage copper pots, natural touches. I need my country house now, please.

Normally I would say my dream kitchen involves white marble and black cabinets but a kitchen like this one sure verges on coming out on top.

Hello! I’m alive! I’m blogging! I’m married! That happened. As I suspected, in the weeks leading up to my wedding on May 23 I was forced to put the blog on one of many back burners. I’m amazed how some bloggers manage to keep blogging right through big changes or events in their lives, though I suppose if it’s your full time job you find a way to make it happen. Alas, I am back at my actual full time job as of this Monday. The good news is that our wedding was about as perfect as you could hope for; perfect weather, everything fell into place, and our guests had a blast. I am so stinkin’ excited to see the photos from Kelly Sweet. In the mean time here is a little sneak peak of me and my amazing bouquet by Shelby Ferguson. I will definitely be sharing more photos once I receive them!

Now let’s get back into the reason you come here: design! I have three lovely shots of work spaces for you today accompanied by images I thought complimented them. I’ve been having fun the last few posts finding these extra photos to deepen the feeling the interior design shots invoke, or just to play around with color schemes.

Sleek white walls paired with rough, worn antiques is a beautiful juxtaposition. I’m less of a crusader for white walls than I used to be though I will still happily defend them against those who find them boring or just ugly. The key is to pair white with good design. A white room decorated with little thought or care is going to be boring and probably ugly (sorry not sorry). But a white room decorated with personality and patience can be stunning.

Wowee wow. This is why I’m less into white walls than I used to be. Dark blue and black are colors I am itching to use more of. While this room is a bit more colorful than I would personally go, it’s undeniably awesome and fun, would you agree?

I am forever daydreaming about moving to the country. Fresh air, open fields, long country roads, and beautiful country homes that show their age and offer a simplicity and sense of calm. Just being surrounded by more nature would improve my daily mood.

I’m not quite as in to all white rooms as I used to be but this collection of white serving dishes and linen is a dream. Because everybody needs three big soup tureens and four matching pitchers, right?

I’m not the only one that positively swoons over ragged old perfectly aged architecture, am I? I wish there were any homes as old and classy as this where I live. The US is just too young of a country. I want more old things. I realized that so many of my favorite Etsy shops are selling vintage items from Europe, particularly France. That’s where all the good old stuff is.

Although some new build homes in the country are pretty alluring too!

I hope your weekend is as warm and comfortable as these images make me feel!